Calculating machine



Dec. 30, 1941. H. T. Avr-:RY

CALCULATING MACHINE 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet l Original Filed Dec. 18

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mw Wm Hy B Dec. 30, 1941. H. T. AVERY CALCULATING MACHINE Original FiledDec. 18, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 mmvmn HAROLD TAVEQY F'IE. 4

A TTORNEY Patented Dec. 30, 1941 2,267,890 CALCULATING MACHINE Harold T.Avery, Oakland, Calif., assignor'to Marchant Calculating MachineCompany, a corporation of California Original application December 18,1933, Serial No. 702,949, now Patent No. 2,211,736, dated August 13,1940. Divided and this application November 20, 1939, Serial No. 305,311

A 7 Claims.

The present invention relates to calculating machines and the like andhas particular reference to counter actuating mechanisms and controlstherefor.

In high speed calculating machines, the intermittently actuatedIregistering mechanisms, such as those used to additively orsubtractively register the machine cycles in terms of multiplier,quotient, etc., tend to overthrow due to momentum. In attempting toovercome this tendency, spring pressed pawling mechanisms have beenincorporated. If these pawling mechanisms are relied on, in themselves,to prevent overthrow, strong springs must be used which introduceconsiderable noise and vibration, as well as wear. Furthermore, theforce required to actuate such registering mechanisms against the actionof these springs is much greater than that required to actuate theregistering mechanisms alone.

Bearing in mind the above defects, the general object of the presentinvention is to provide counter actuating mechanism which willpositively prevent overthrow ofthe counter registering mechanism whenoperated at high speeds.

at rest, in order to permit transverse movement between the counter andits actuator. A

A still further object is to generally simplify complete calculatingmachine.

Figure 6 is a transverse sectional view through the counter reversingunit and is taken along the line E -B of Figure 5.

The machine embodying the present invention is of the type disclosed andclaimed in the applications of Avery, entitled Calculating machines,

Serial Number 653,207, led January 23, 1933.

. shown applied to the type o1" machine disclosed in the above mentionedpatents, the invention is not limited to use therewith, but may beutilized advantageously even in simple revolution counters Referring toFigures l and 2y a counter, generally indicated at |800, is shown asbeing provided in the upper portion of a carriage 250 transverselyshiftable along support shafts 259 and 260, for the purpose of countingthe number of machine cycles and improve counter actuating mechanism ofthe class described.

The manner in which the above and other objects of the invention areaccomplished will be readily 'understood on reference to the followingspecification when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawingswherein:

Figure 1 is 'a transverse sectional view, partly deleted, ot acalculating machine and illustrating a counter actuating mechanismembodying the-present invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of a part of the carriage with parts brokenaway to show the counter registering mechanism. l

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view through the counter registeringmechanism.

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail view of the counter operating mechanism,illustrating `its movement diagrammatically.`

Figure 5 is a sectional view through the dr1ving and reversing unit forthe counter actuating i mechanism, as well as the control therefor, andis taken substantially along the line 5 5 of Figure l, 5.5

and thereby registering the number of operations in addition-orsubtraction, as well as serving as a multiplier register inmultiplication operations and a quotient register in divisionoperations. Y

The counter proper comprises an ordinal series of dials 219 connectedtogether by suitable tenscarrying mechanism (not shown). Each dial isprovided with digit numerals from 0 to 9, equally spaced therearound,andis adapted to be driventhrough a train of gearsv |819, |880, and |88|rotatably mounted on shafts |882, |883, and |884, respectively. Eachdial is connected to its respective gear |819 by a planetary gear system(not shown) whereby the dial is normally advanced one-tenth of arevolution for each one tooth advancement of gear |819. One of the gears|88|, depending on the position of the carriage 250 along the pair ofparallel carriage supporting shafts 259 and 280, is intermittentlyadvanced an increment of one tooth at a time by a counting-finger |824which is moved through a roughly triangular path on each cycle ofoperation (one-half revolution) of a main clutch 428 through a train ofgears and a counter actuator to be described later, The ratios of thevarious gears |819, |880, and 188| are such that for each advancement ofa gear 885 by the counting linger |824, the corresponding dial will beadvanced fl. .m one numeral thereon to the next.

The durch 42s is'engaed to andere one orY more machine cycles by rockingclutch dog 395 clockwise against the tension of spring SI2, in a.^manner described in the above mentioned appli" cations, and it is to benoted that the clutch.'`

the construction of which is described in detail in the aforesaidapplication Serial Number 702,949, has a normal cycle consisting of halfa revolution so that if clutch dog 395 is rocked; even for an instant,and then released, the clutch and the elements it drives will make halfa revolution before the nose 422 can again engage one of the oppositenotches 423 and 424 to open the clutch, stop and lock the mechanism.

To insure proper engagement of the main clutch, temporary retainingmeans are provided for locking the clutch dog out of -engagement withthe clutch during the rst portion of the first cycle of its operation.This means comprises a .bell crank 625 (Figure 1') rockably mounted on ishaft 626 and urged by spring 821 to engage lateral projection 820 onthe main clutch dog 395. The bell crank 825 includes a notch 828 whichengages lateral projection 820 and retains the clutch dog 395 out ofengagement with the clutch. During the first part of the rotation of themain clutch, a cam follower '829 is rocked about shaft GII by cam 830Ywhich is driven by the main clutch, so that a pin 63| on the camfollower rocks the bell crank' 825 counter-clockwise and releases themain clutch dog allowing the same to be moved into engagement with the lnotches 423 and 424 by the tension spring SI2;

An additional latch is provided, however, whereby the main clutch may belatched free of the clutch for any selected number of cycles. andcomprises a bell crank 633 pinned on shaft l 528 and having a roller 835thereon, which may be moved into latching engagement with lateralprojection 520 on the main clutch dog 395 by controls described in theabove identified applications, whenever it is desired to causecontinuous operation of the clutch 428 for several cycles.

The roller 835 permits the main clutch dog to slide olf it easilyv andquickly when the end of the clutch operation has been determined, andholds the main clutch dog slightly lower than does notch 628 so thatafter lever 625 is once released it cannot reengage the main clutch dogand the dog is thus' left free to drop home as soon as -bell crank 833is moved counterclockwise. If the bell crank 633 has not moved intoposition to engage the under part of lateral extension 820, then theclutch dog can move to engage the clutch and stop it aftera single cycleof operation.

As shown particularly in Figure 5, a.- main reverse unit 450 is providedto selectively transmit rotation from the main clutch 428 to an' idlerunit 49.3 in opposite directions. The main reverse unit 450 includes apair of gear members 458 and 459 independently journaled on an integralclutch plate and sleeve 453 which, in turn, is journaled on the shaft429. The member 453 is keyed at 45| to a sleeve 4|9 which is suitablysecured to the disc 4| 8 and which forms part of the driven side of theclutch 428.v The gear members 458 and 459 are adapted to be selectivelvand alternatively secured to the clutch l plate 453 in the mannerdisclosed in detail in the copending applications above referred to.Gear member 458 meshes directly with the gear ,492 on the integraldouble idler unit 493, while the 'gear member 459 is entrained with theother gear 49| on the idler unit 493 through an idler 490, rotatablymounted upon a stud 490a extending from a stationary supporting plate'6I I.

As` explained in detail in the copending applications Aabove referredto, the setting of the main reverse unit 450 determines the direction ofoperation of the main actuating mechanism 'of the calculating machine.The counter actuating mechanism, since it is designed to count the netnumber of cycles of operation of this main actuating mechanism, isdriven by the main reverse unit- 450; but since it is desirable torender it possible to reverse the direction of operation of the counteractuating mechanism with respect to that of the main actuatingmechanism, so that either net additive or net subtractive cycles ofoperation of the latter may be counted, a counter reversing unit isinterposed being directly with gear I8I6 while gear 492 drives gear |8I8through an idler |820.

A slide |8|2 is supported in a slotted end of shaft |8l9 which isjournaled in bearings 52'6 and 521 formed in the plates yI|| and 524,respectively, and said slide includes a projection |8I4 which can beselectively engaged with slot |8|5 provided ingear I8|6 and slot |8|1 ingear |8|8, so that shaft, |8|9 may be driven in either direction,selectively,rwhile the idler unit is driven in the same direction, thusselectively driving gear |82I, keyed to shaft |8|9in either direction.Gear |822 xed on a. shaft |823 meshes with gear |82| and is thusreversed in its direction of rotation to rotate said shaft |823 ineither a clockwise or a counter-clockwise direction. The ratiobetweenthe gears isv such that, for each half revolution made by themain clutch, the gear |822 will rotateF one revolution and a nger |824(Figures l, 4 and 5), driven by shaft |823' as hereinafter disclosed,will describe a complete cycle. `This arrangement results in the counterdial 219 in register |800 beingadvanced one full increment, for eachmain clutch cycle, although this main clutch cycle is completed in onlya half revolution of the clutch itself.

50 lThe setting of the counter reverse unit is under control of a radialcam on a lever l|808 (Figure 5'), pivotally mounted on a bearing bolt|809 secured to the plate 6|0. This cam operates in a notch in aslidable shaft |8|0 which is supported by a sleeve |8|I in plate 5I0.One end of shaft I8|0 is keyed into Ythe nat slide 9I2 by enlargedportion I 8I3, whereby lateral movement of the shaft |8|0 moves slide|8|2. Cam lever I808 has an extending offset end |825 (see also Figurel) which, when moved into engage-v ment with the slot in shaft |8|0,shifts shaft I9|0 In` one direction and another portion |828 whereby theshaft |8|0 may be shifted in the opposite direction. A link |801(Figure 1) is.

pivotally connected between lever |808v and another lever |805 mountedon a rockable shaft ,915. Movement of link |801 lengthwise into oneposition by means disclosed in the aforesaid co pending applications,therefore, causes gear I BIG to be keyed to shaft |919 while movement oflink |801 into another position causes the gear 2,267,890 'an eccentricml ausmalen.. The anger is supported intermediately by pin |835extending froma stationary vertical supporting member 8|2, while thelever |830 is supported by pin |832.

also extending from the supporting member SI2.

'I'he gear |88| is selectively reversed by reversing the direction ofVrotation ofthe eccentric |83I. In one case, the finger is moved towardthe gear, then up and back to drag theE gear around. In

the other, the finger is moved forward and down,

to push the gear around in the opposite direction, and then out ofengagement, and back. The finger is retracted from the gear |88| aftereach single actuation so that the counter dial, having its train ofgears |818, |880, and |88| aligned with the finger |824,- is moved onestep at a. time. A lever |833 is pivoted at its upper end to pin |832and is biased by spring |834 against a centralizing cam formation |838on the eccentric .shaft |823 to tend to centralize the eccentric, andthereby the. fingerl |824, in a position wherein the driving tooth |831onviinger |824 lies out of engagement with the gear |88| at the apex ofthe triangular path of movement described thereby. Of course, thiscentralizing action occurs only when the main clutch 428 becomesdisengaged.

On reference to Figure 4, the theoretical considerations on which thestructure is based will be apparent. The eccentric mounting |83| causesthe point of attachment of lever |830 to pensated for by making the slotof lever |824 in the form of a slightly angular cam-way, as indicated.The ideal tooth path is one in which the actuating tooth upon passingout of contact with the driven tooth sweeps away from the driven gear88| along a path retrograding slightly toward the following gear toothso as to meet andrcheck it if it is overthrowing past the position inwhich it should be centralized. In a type of counter in which theactuating tooth is not reversible, no compensation for asymmetry of itspath is necessary. In a reversible actuator structure such compensationmay or may not be necessary, depending upon the centers originallychosen.

By these means an actuator is provided which,v

Y, sures interception and complete checking of the next advancing geartooth so as to prevent overthrow by momentum.

Pawls 3|8` (Figures 2 and 3) may be provided to engage the gear |880 tohold the counter registering mechanism after advancement thereof by thefinger |824. Each of these pawls 3|9 is pivoted on shaft |884 and isspring urged in a shaft |823 to be revolved through the path indicatedby the stations indicated diagrammatically at A. Fulcrum |832 would,were the slot I 832a straight and the lever arms equal, transform thiscircular movement into movement at the upper end of lever |830 whichmight be described as a circle slightly flattened on top and oppositelydeformed at the bottom side. such modification being caused by verticalshifting of the lever with respect to the fulcrum.

The first modeling of this transmitted move- -..ment toward that desiredis effected by curving thslt' 4|8320 substantially as shown so as tofunction as a cam-way serving as a rocking slide bearing for pin |832,so.as to cause the vertical center line of the geometrical figuredescribed by the upper end of the lever to be deformed in a manner.determined bythe conformation of the cam-way, causing said end todescribe a roughly triangular path as indicated diagrammatically at B inthengure.

' Furthermodeling of the pattern of movement of the actuating tooth isaccomplished by transmitting the above described movement of the4Vuppemngdxoi' lever |830 through a second lever or finger|824wwhilari'sthefactuatingrtooth" |831 and which has a rocking slidebearing on |835. When-the lever |824 is in its leftmost position, theleft lever arm is longer than the right and4 vertical movement of lever|830 is thus increased as it is transmitted to the tooth. The actuatingtooth- |831 is thereby given sufficient movement to carry it distinctlybeyond its next position of rest, thus insuring that any back lash inthe gearing connecting the driven gear |88| with the numeral wheel 219will be taken up. As lever |824 -s'moved to the right, however, therelation of thelengths of its arms progressively reverses, causing th`etooth to describe the path indicated at C on lthe diagram.

If the tooth path pattern is found to be too asymmetrical because of thevertical shifting of lever |830 with respect to its fulcrum, ashereinbefore mentioned, this condition can be comcounter-clockwisedirection by a tension spring 3|8 into engagement with the teeth on theadjacent gear |880. Since these pawls are employed merely for thepurpose of registering or holding the counter gear train in -correctalignment and not for the purpose of preventing overthrow, it will beseen that the tension in springs 3I8 may be relatively weak.

I claim:

l. A counting mechanism comprising a rotatable member, a lever, `meansfor moving said lever at one end thereof in a predetermined path, meansfor guiding the other end of said lever in a different path, a drivingfinger adapted at one end thereof to engage and drive said member, saidfinger beingpivotally connected at the other end thereof to said otherend of said lever, and means intermediate the ends of said finger forguiding said driving end thereof, first along an engaging path from astarting point exteriorly Wgrading before withdrawing from said outer periphery of said member.

2. A counting mechanism comprising, a rotatable member having aplurality of teeth thereon, means for advancing said memberintermittently comprising a lever, means for moving said lever at oneend thereof in a circular path, a fulcrum, mea-ns on said lever forminga cam-way in sliding engagement with said fulcrum to guide the other endof said lever, a driving finger pivotally connected at one end thereofto said lever ycause said driving end of said finger to move,

first along an engaging path from a starting point intoengagement withone of said teeth, second along a driving path in engagement with one ofsaid teeth, and third along a path withdrawing to said starting pointwhile retrograding to intercept movement of a succeeding overthrowntooth ofsaid member, said rst and third paths extending subsantiallysymmetrical about a line between said starting point and the center ofrotation of said member.

` 3. A counting mechanism comprising, a toothed member, and means foradvancing said member step by step comprising a lever and a drivingfinger, each pivotally connected at one end thereof to the other, meanson said iinger formingv a driving tooth adapted to engage and drivetheteeth on said member, means for cyclically moving said 'lever over asubstantially triangular path at said pivoted end thereof, and a rockingslide bearing support for said nger intermediate said pivoted endthereof and said tooth, driving means for cyclically advancing saidtooth, and guiding means Afor constraining said drivingg tooth forguiding said driving tooth in a substantially triangular path and indriving engagement with said teeth on said member dur-` ing traverse ofsaid driving tooth along the base of said last mentioned triangularpath, and means for arresting the movement of said lever at the end ofone or more cycles with said driving tooth positioned substantially atthe apex of said last mentioned triangular path and out of engagementwith said member.

4. Counting mechanism comprising a toothed element and means-foradvancing said element step by step, comprising a pair of levers, eachpivotally,4 connected to the other, means forming a driving tooth on oneof said levers for engaging and driving said element, means forimparting a circular motion to the other of said levers at one endthereof, and rocking slide bearingsuppolfts for guiding said levers tomove said driving tooth ilrst into engagement with a tooth on saidelement, second along a driving path, and iinally along a pathretrograding to intercept movement of'an overthrown tooth of saidelement.

5. A counting mechanism comprising a rotatable toothed element and meansfor advancing ,said element step by step comprising a driving tooth tomove, rst into engagement with a vtooth of said element, secondv along adriving path, and finally out of engagement with the driven tooth ofsaid element, in a, retrograde direction to impart reverse movement tothe next adjac'ent tooth of said element in the `event of over- Ithrowof said element.

ing path in engagement with said element during movement of said elementfrom one of said registering positions to a second position in adirection determined by said reversing means, and 'both into and out 'oiengagement with said element at angles to said driving path suicientlyacute to cause slight retrograde movement to be 'imparted to the drivenelement in the event of displacement thereof beyond said secondposition.

'7. A counting mechanism comprising a rotatable toothed element andmeans for advancing said element step by step comprising' a lever and adriving ringer, each pivotally connected to the other, means on saidiinger forming a driving tooth adapted to engage and drive the teeth onsaid element, drive means pivotally connected to said lever and operable'to imparta circular m0- tion to said lever at the point of said lastmentioned pivotal connection, a fulcrum upon which

